An F-35B fighter jet has flown with the Spear 3 miniature cruise missile for the first time, according to the claim by European defense contractor MBDA.

This marks the first time the weapon system was integrated with the fifth-generation fighter jet. MBDA intends to integrate the miniature cruise missile on the United Kingdom’s F-35B fleet in the days ahead.

To put this into effect, the company demonstrated the integration on a US test F-35B fighter earlier this month. According to MBDA, the milestone was achieved through the collaborative efforts of representatives from the F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF), MBDA, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, the UK Ministry of Defense (including locally deployed RN & RAF personnel), and the U.S. Government. 

First F-35B fighter to fly with Spear

Upon receipt of flight approval, an integrated team of ITF personnel, UK Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force Weapons Technicians loaded four SPEAR missiles, supported by Lockheed Martin and MBDA representatives.

The team loaded the missiles in the payload bay of the fifth-generation fighter jet. The test F-35B fighter jet took off from the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in the US. The fighter jet was flown by a Royal Navy F-35B test pilot from the UK’s Air & Space Warfare Center.

MBDA says that data from the test flight will be examined, which will lead to the first mission systems integration and jettison trials as the next critical integration milestones. The company had earlier test-fired the Spear cruise missile from the fourth-generation Eurofighter Typhoon in 2024.

The UK was one of the original partners in the F-35 Lightning II program, and it operates the stealth aircraft alongside the Typhoon. The multi-role combat aircraft can conduct the roles and missions of different aircraft types simultaneously.

The UK has currently received 38 F-35B (as of July 2025), and has committed to purchasing 138 jets in total under the program. The F-35B variant can be used from land or aircraft carriers, and the UK MoD expects its F‑35 aircraft to remain in service until 2069.

MBDA’s new missile

Spear is defined as a next-generation turbojet-powered miniature cruise missile by the UK MoD. The missile has a range of 62.1 miles (100 kilometers) and is an air-to-surface missile.

The cruise missile can be used to target air defenses, ships, tanks, defended structures and fast-moving vehicles. The UK expects that the missile, once in service, will be used to hit targets from land and the carrier-based fleet.

The missile weighs less than 220 pounds, and is roughly 6.5 feet (2 meters) long. MBDA says that the cruise missile has a “beyond horizon reach to ensure that the aircraft remains safely away from hostile air defense units.”